Signal switch construction for automotive vehicles



Dec. 18, 1934. B. BOBROFF SIGNAL SWITCH CONSTRUCTION FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES Filed May l2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l In/verdict Dec. 18, 1934. B. 1 BOBROFF SIGNAL SWITCH CONSTRUCTION FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES Filed Ivay l2, 1950 2 Sheets-Shee, 2

Patented Dec. 18, 1934 s PATENT" OFFICE sicnaii rsWIilCH CONSTRUCTION Fon AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES f yB ornett L. B obroff, Racine, Wigs. .Application May 1,2!1930f-sr1'i21 .NO- @4512.551

2 Claims.

This 'invention lrelates to' a .signal switch con.-

struction for `automotive lvehicles.

` Obiects -of Athis invention are to provide a horn button `signal switch which is so vvconstructed that the same =member.,rorbutton, serves both as the horn :button 'and signal, or direction switch button; landis -so'made that it is adapted to be mounted centrally of'fthe -steering wheel.

. -In hornbiittonsit has been `found, from actual lpracticepthatfrthe wire extending through the column vfrequently breaks or has its insulationkwornl-oi due torubbing and Vibration, and -it -wi1l lbe readily appreciated that any wire or group .of -wires located in the steering column is subjected to the same dangers. f

v-"l1hi sinvention has f or its -further Aobjects the provision lof-a horn button signal switch construction iii-'whichall wires are eliminated Ifrom fthe steering column and steering wheel, valthough the operati-ng member or control member buttonnay-be `-lc` c a1` e c 1 centrally Vof the steering wheel and-altliough such buttonl controls not Only-the -horn,"-butalso a plurality of signalling devices.

Further objects are to provide a horn Ybutton iand signal 4switch ubi'ittonwhichl is depressible in 'the usualmanner to `'sound "the horn vand which y'is ,rotatable 4vto :the right or left corresponding tortheintended direction of lturnof the automol'tive -vehicle 'to 4operate `the corresponding signalling device.

@Further objects are to provide 4a novel form j qf combined 'horn button and' signal switch button 'which' is so `rnadetl.'1atthe hand of the operatorjniay'be pressedithereon and will Voccasion no' `discomfort'tothe operator and whichis prozbeeraeoed'ey the .irrgorsfof 'the operator to rotetethejhutiiorr and Whohiis provided with depressed portions'on opposite sides of the rib Ito accommodate `the fingers. .of the operator, .the 1311er ,.Slirfleioe of ...the .rib .merging .into the rounded uppersilriaoe ,fof the button.

Further objects are ,to ,provide d .horn .and signal switch button or ,member Winch .doos not rotate'with the hand Wheel or gas or spark levers ,.althoisehmoanted .oentrallrof .the ,hand'wheeL .and ,WhidhlZ des; disfisur-o the herd wheel but simulates i,r1...attr.iativoormof:horn buiten-.a1- thoilsh @assessing numerous ,functions es outli'ned'above andwhichl `is compact ,and free from I(any.contacts adjacentthehand wheel. or in` any portion of thefsteerng oolumh- .Farther obieotSere-fro provide :a i horn .button vam'lfsignal switchconstructon .which is easy to assemble and is easy to .accurately adjust, in which Va Yconlloineei horn switch and Signal Switch rod .extends llfllough the .steering column and may he, easilyinsrted, ,and in `which o Combi.- nation hor-n and signal switoh proper is ,Carried adjacent the lower .end ,of the Steering Column and is easily adjusted and connected Ato the rod.

Further objects are :to provide aconstruction in which .the .movable and Stationary .Contacts are ,readily.eoaessblealthoueh oomplotely housed, and in .which .simple .and readily .accessible terminals are provided fior .the horn and .Signal orcuits so that no wires kneed extend into even the housed .portion ogf `the switch.

Further Objects .are to provide a novel oonstruction-in whicha singlerod extending through f the steering column is so controlled that it may .he given .either axial ,or rotary vmotion .to Vselectively operate either thelfhorn .switch .or signal switch, and in .which novel means .are provided d .which may `be,Ydenlossed ,toidopress .the rod and sound the horn, .and which may abo rotated or turned in either ,direction .to rotate' the rod and .accordingly lOperate the signal switch movable l contact.

An embodiment ,of the Vinvention is Shown in :the acompmying drawings, in which :Figure l is .an elevation, partlybroken away I,and ,partly in .section showing the .apparatus in .assembled position, such `v iew .corresponding to .a section ontheline 1:1 oLFigure Y3.

yFigure ;2is aplan View of themanually operable-button.

wFigurev 3 .isa sectional View onthe linetB-B of Figure 1l.

'Figure 1, and showing `they ,wiring diagrammatically.

vReferringf tothedrwlngs it will be seen that a .lsinglevbutton ,-1 iis provided which selectively .operates the 1 horn switchand the ,direct io n signal Lswitch yin a .marinera hereinafter described. This button may be formed of bakeliteorsimilar material andphas molded therein a tubular member orl clamp, which. isprovided with. a recess'for the reception C of` the rod -3 and is split and provided .with earsA which vmay be kdrawn towards keach other.: byimeans/ofsthe: bolt. or screw 15, .see v.Figur e to. clampgthe rod :3.

The combined hor-mand signal switch button gradually rounding .upper surface andV is, provided witha radially-extendingrib.16 which.may be opposite sides of the rib to accommodate the fingers of the operator. The rib 6 merges into the upper surface of the button, so that no sharp portions are provided. This allows the operator to place his hand upon the button to depress the button and sound the horn without occasioning him any discomfort as the entire upper surface, although' the radial rib is provided, is generally rounding. y

A casing or sleeve 8 guides the button and houses a spring 9 positioned between the button 1 and an inner flange 10 of the guiding casing 8. Preferably the casing is notched out, as shown at 11 in Figure 3, to receive a key 12 formed on the button l and to provide stops to limit therotation of the button, although allowing the button to freely slide upwardly or downwardly with reference to the casing 8.

The casing 8 is slightly recessed on its lower side, see Figure 1, and receives a flange 13 rigid with a tube 14. The tube 14 is rigidly held, adjacent its lower end, by means of a clamp 15 secured to a bracket 16 which is attached to any relatively stationary portion of the automotive vehicle such as a side frame bar, not shown. The iiange 13 of the tube, is rigidly attached to the casing 8 by means of screws 17.

The combined switch button 1, and casing 8 are mounted adjacent the upper end of the steering column, indicated generally at 18, and centrally of the steering wheel 19. However, neither the button 1 nor casing 8 is rotated vdue to the rotation of the hand wheel 19 or spark or gas lever 20, due to the fact that the casing is rigidly attached to the rigidly mounted tube 14.

From the description thus far given, it is apparent that the button 1 may be depressed to depress the rod 3 or rotated to the right or left to correspondingly rotate the rod 3. I

The lower portion of the apparatus comprises a signal switch proper and a horn switch selectively operated by the single rod 3. It is to be particularly noted, at this point, that .no wires extend through the steering column-in reality, no wires even enter the steering column.

A signal switch housing 21 is secured to the bracket 16 and carries an insulating base 22, see Figures l and 4. A rotary signal switch element is mounted within the housing and comprises a rotary insulating hub 23, an upper insulating member 24, and a contact arm 25 held between the members 23 and 24 by rivets 26. Preferably, as may be seen from Figure 4 the contact arm 25 is provided with an annular central portion 27 and the hub 23 is provided with three pairs of diametrically opposed notches 28, within any pair of which the curved arms of a U-shaped spring 28 are adapted to seat. Also, it is preferable to provide ears 29 on the upper member 24 whichlare adapted to contact with spacers 30 carried by the bolts or rivets 31 which hold the insulating base 22 to the housing 21. f

The insulatingbase 22 carries contacts 32, 33, 34, and 35, and terminals 36, 37,38, and 39 see Figure 4. 'Ihe contacts 32 and 33 are respectively connected to the terminals 37 and 38 and both thefcontacts 34 and 35 are connectedto vthe terminal 36. The terminal 39 is connected to a central contact 40, see Figure 1.

As shown in Figure 1, a slidable switch element 41, in the form of a metallic plunger is slid- .ably mounted centrally ofthe rotary contact switchy element, and is providedwith a transversely carried bar 42 whichslides in keyways 43 formed in the insulating hub 23. This construction allows the member 41 to slide freely through the hub 23 and yet permits rotary motion to be transmitted to the hub when the member 41 is rotated.

The slidable switch element 41 is provided with a plurality of split, externally threaded jaws 44 which are adjustably clamped to the rod 3 by means of the clamping nut 45.,y f,

Itwill be seen that the construction is such that the lower portion of the apparatus may be readily adjusted to iit any type or length of steering column and may be most easily mounted adjacent the lower portion of such steering column.

In Figure 4 a single direction signal apparatus has been shown diagrammatically and it comprises a right signal lamp or member 46 and a left signal lamp or member 47 connected respectively to the terminals 37, and 38, and adapted to be lighted when the switch arm 25 bridges contacts 32 and 34, or 33 and 35 respectively.

It is to be understood that a signal device is preferably located on each side and at the rear of the vehicle and that each signal device is capable of giving any one of av plurality of direction signals independently of any other signal device, but that all signal devices are simultaneously controlled by the signal switch. In other words, a single signal device has been diagrammatically shown in Figure 4 capable of giving either a right i or a left signal, but it is intended that a plurality of such devices be used, such additional devices being similar to that diagrammatically shown in Figure 4, but omitted from the drawings :fory the sake of clearness. Referring again to Figure 4 itwill be seen that a battery 48 is grounded on one side and connected on the other side to the horn 49 and to the terminal 39. One side of each signal lamp 46 and 47 is grounded. The horn 49 is connected to the terminal 39 and from thence to the central contact 40, so that when the slidable member, or

plunger, 41, see Figure 1, is depressed, the horn is sounded.

n win be seen that the combined hor'n switch or signal switch is selectively operated from the button 1. When the button is depressed, thehorn is sounded, and when the button is rotated to the right or left the corresponding direction signal is given. l

It is to bel particularly noted that no wires extend through or even enter the steering column. In fact no wires enter the switch but are merely connected to the terminals. This prevents abrasion of the insulation of the wires, short circuits,

end thereof, a' rod extending through andl conf,

s tacting with said tube, a plate rigid with the upper end of said'tube, a casing carried by said plate, a button secured to said rod and slidably televscoping with said casing, and a spring for moving said button outwardly with reference to said casing, whereby said rod may be rotated or depressed by said button and whereby said casing is held plate and extending upwardly therefrom, a rod in place by the rigid securing of said tube. extending through and contacting with said tube 2. The combination of an automotive vehicle and slidable and rotatable with respect to said steering column, a tube extending through said tube, a button detaohably secured to the upper 5 column, means detaohably rigidly engaging the end of said rod, and spring means interposed 5 lower end of said tube, a plate rigid with the between said button and said casing. upper end of said tube, a casing secured to said BORNETT L. BOBROFF. 

